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ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS' REPORT

Welcome back to Term 3; we hope all families had a restful and enjoyable break. 

UNIFORM

McKinnon Secondary College takes great pride in our uniform and the role this plays in building a positive and inclusive culture which aligns with our school values. 

 

After consultation between the school leadership team and our Student Councils, the School Council has reviewed our uniform policy and approved the following changes:

 

  • Facial hair - students will now be allowed to have facial hair that is neatly trimmed.

  • Blazer - if students choose to wear an outer garment when travelling to and from school, it must be the blazer (rather than the College jumper). This now applies to the whole school year (rather than the blazer being compulsory in Terms 3 & 4).  

  • Student Health and Safety - to maintain a safe school environment students must wear their uniform in a practical and appropriate manner. Specific items include excessive jewellery (such as hoop earrings), and long fingernails, which are potential hazards when moving around busy classrooms, corridors and stairwells.

 

We thank all families for their ongoing support of our uniform policy.

STUDENT CHROMEBOOKS - IT SUPPORT

Our Chromebook program plays a vital role in delivering an effective and engaging curriculum. With everyone using a standard platform, we can ensure all students have access to specific online tools and updates, as well as effective IT support - these are the benefits of our Chromebook package. 

 

If your child is experiencing any IT issues they need to go to the IT office or email help@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au. Students can also check selfserve for all things tech related. There are lots of videos and guides to help you access and manage our IT platforms effectively. 

PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT CONFERENCES - Advanced Notice

Please note that our Semester 2 Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences will be taking place on Tuesday 8 and Thursday 17 September. These conversations will be done remotely via Google Meet. More details about booking interviews will be provided closer to the date.

NAPLAN REPORTING 2026

NAPLAN results for students were recently released. The NAPLAN Individual Student Reports for Year 7 and Year 9 students and the Year 9 Certificates of Achievement will be mailed out shortly to parents and carers. Information that explains how to read and analyse the information is included on the student report.

 

The Certificates of Achievement are awarded to Year 9 students who meet the ‘exceeding’ proficiency for NAPLAN in reading and/or numeracy.

 

NAPLAN measures student achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, and grammar and punctuation and the results are presented in four proficiency levels:

 

These are:

  • Exceeding: the student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.

  • Strong: the student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.

  • Developing: the student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing.

  • Needs additional support: the student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes expected at the time of testing. 

 

Students’ NAPLAN reports show how they are tracking against their peers and provide an indication of their skill levels against national averages and where we would expect them to be in order to get the most out of schooling. This provides valuable information to teachers about how we can continue to support your child.

 

Each set of NAPLAN results is an important milestone but it’s also important that students know that one result does not define them – these results are about making sure every student gets the support they need so they can continue to get the best from their learning.

SUBJECT SELECTIONS FOR 2027

The Student Handbook was released at the end of Term 2 for all students. The handbook contains subject descriptors and other useful information to help students make informed decisions about the subjects they wish to study next year. The Student Handbook can be found under the Star menu on Compass or please click here.

 

Subject selections will commence next week as outlined in the dates below:

 

Current Year 8 - 11 Students

  • Thursday 30 July - Subject Selections for 2027 OPEN

  • Monday 10 August - Subject Selections for 2027 CLOSE

YEAR 7 - 9 ELMS: ENTRANCE TEST NOMINATIONS - OPENING WEEK 5

Please be advised, we will commence accepting nominations for the ELMS (Enhanced Learning in Maths and Science) Entrance Tests for students currently in Years 7 - 9 during Term 3 Week 5 (Week commencing Monday 10 August).

 

Google Forms will be published to the Compass Newsfeed during Week 5.

 

Please note if you wish to nominate for both Maths and Science you MUST complete both Google Forms.

 

The tests will take place in Term 3, Week 9 (week commencing Monday 7 September).  Please note - TESTS WILL NOT BE COMPLETED REMOTELY.

 

Students that are currently in the ELMS programs are NOT required to complete the entrance test. However, if you are in one of the programs (eg. Maths) but not currently in Science ELMS you will have to nominate for the Science ELMS test if you wish to be considered.

 

Only students who have completed the Google Forms will be able to complete the tests.

 

Please note - 

 

  • This information is not relevant to Grade 6 ELMS Testing

  • The outcomes of these tests will not be released until mid-Term 4.

  • Nominations will CLOSE Friday 28 August 3pm.